Apparatus for wadding bottles



Nov. 3, '1970 GN, CR'EMIEUX 3,531,228

APPARATUS :FOR wAQiNG BoTTLEs 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 13, 1969 Zag/750x@ Nov. 3, 1.970

vGy-v. CRE'MIEUXQ .I APPARATUS FOR wADDING BOTTLES Filed Jan. 13, 1969 Nov. 3, 1970 G. v. CREMIEUX Y 3,531,228

. APPARATUS FOR wADDING BOTTLES Filed Jan. 13, 1969 4 sheets-sheet s G. V. CREMIEUX APPARATUS FOR WADDING BOTTLES Nov. 3, 1970 l 4r Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Jan. 13, 1969 United States Patent O U.S. Cl. 53-63 4 Claims ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus for depositing a wad of Cotton in the mouth of a bottle which apparatus is designed to operate along the path of a continuously moving conveyor on which bottles are fed in succession to and momentarily arrested at a bottle station While said apparatus cuts ot wad forming portions from a contiuous strip of wadding material and deposits said wad into a bottle at said station and said apparatus returns said bottle to said conveyor on completion of said Wad depositing operation preparatory to delivery of said wadded bottle to a station for reception of a bottle cap or cover.

This invention relates to apparatus for inserting a wad of cotton in the mouth of a bottle of pills or the like wherein bottles are fed in a continuous procession to a wad receiving station while the machine cuts ofr the wad from a continuous strip of wadding material and inserts the wad into a bottle at said station and thereupon the bottle is discharged from said station and returned to said procession in preparation for a bottle closing operation.

It is an important object of this invention to provide apparatus of the type indicated wherein the work functions of the various units of the apparatus are synchronized and accomplished pneumatically under control of an automatic cam operated plural valve system.

A further object of this invention is to provide an apparatus of the character as stated which is simple in design, reliable in construction and less costly to manufacture than former bottle wadding machines.

With these and other objects in view, the nature of which will be more apparent, the invention will be more fully understood by reference to the drawings, the accompanying detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an apparatus for depositing a wad of cotton in the mouth of a bottle, in accordance with the present invention, and showing the wad in deposited relation to a bottle preparatory to discharge from the wad receiving station.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the apparatus in readiness for severing a wad of cotton from a cotton strip and for folding said wad into an inverted U-shape.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing the wad cutting unit in a full line position in readiness for cutting action and in a dotted line position on completion of said cutting action.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the apparatus taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional -view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 illustrates the various control circuits of the apparatus.

As shown in the drawings, the apparatus forming the subject of this invention is installed along the path of a continuously moving conveyor 10 on which tablet containing bottles B are advanced, one at a time, to a bottle station while enroute from a tablet filling station to a bottle capping station (not shown). The bottle station is defined by a horizontal platform 11. A guide rail 13 opposite the plat- 3,537,228 Patented Nov. 3, 1970 ice form 11 acts to divert the bottle B from the conveyor 10 to the platform 11 into engagement with an adjustable stop 14 under line pressure exerted by succeeding bottles B on the conveyor 10.

The production of a wad of cotton 15 and the steps involved in depositing said wad 15 into the neck of a bottle B at the bottle station 12 are performed via means which generally include a cotton strip supply unit, a cotton strip feeding unit, a cutting unit to which said strip is delivered by said feeding unit in measured wad forming increments and operative to sever the leading increment from the balance of the strip while said leading increment occupies a supply station, a pusher unit supported for movement along a fixed line of tra-vel obstructed by a cotton wad occupying said supply station, a carrier unit which moves between a cotton wad intake position in overhead alignment with the wad supply station and a discharge position in overhead vertical alignment with a bottle at the bottle station, a pusher unit for transferring a cotton wad at said cotton wad supply station to said carrier unit when the latter is in cotton wad intake position, and an ejector unit which ejects a wad of cotton from said carrier unit into the mouth of a bottle at said bottle station when the carrier is in discharge position.

A bottle removal unit at the bottle station operates to return the bottle to the conveyor 10 when the cotton wad has been deposited in the bottle.

The various units are operated in timed relation by a programming unit during each operating cycle and the initiation of an operating cycle is effected each time a bottle occupies the bottle station. In this manner the action of the apparatus is effected at a rate commensurate with the rate at which bottles are supplied to said station.

The variousv units are supported on a panel rising upwardly from the platform 11 to define a wall 12. The drive mechanism for the units includes a small geared down motor M mounted on the rear face of the wall 12. Shaft 16 of the programmer unit has driving connection with the motor M via pulleys 17 and 18 and a belt 19 linking said pulleys. A cam 20 on shaft 16 of a programmer unit is operable in conjunction with a cam follower 21 to actuate a valve 22. When valve 22 is released by the cam follower valve 22 admits air pressure to a port 23a at one end of a pneumatic cylinder 23 causing a piston in cylinder 23 to retract and thereby move a rod 24 associated with said cylinder from lowered to raised position. When a lobe 20a on cam 20 is operative to depress the valve 22, air is admitted to port 23b at the upper end of cylinder 23 to extend the piston in cylinder 23 so as to move the rod 24 to lowered position. A strip of cotton C trained through a loop 25 at the lower end of rod 24 is accordingly lifted by upward motion of the rod 24. The portion of the strip C which occupies a position in advance of the loop 25 is received in a guide 26 which is inclined downwardly in a direction away from the area occupied by the loop 25 so as to extend into the path of rotation of an overhead fed wheel 27. The wheel 27 is xed to a shaft 28 which has bearing support in a bushing 29 carried by a bracket 30 pivoted as at 31 to the wall 12 so as to allow the wheel 27 to be raised out of the path of the cotton strip as needed to facilitate initial threading of the strip through the guide. Rotation of the shaft 28 and wheel 27 in a direction to advance the cotton strip C along the guide 26 is elfected by clutch 32 which is actuated by a crank arm 33 having connection as at 34 to the lower end of a rod 35 associated with a pneumatic cylinder 36. Operation of the valve 22. by means of the rotating cam 20 admits air pressure to a port 36a at the lower end of said cylinder 36 to move the rod 35 from a lowered to raised position and thereby turn Wheel 27 clockwise to advance the strip C. As the cam proceeds to rotate the lobe 20a acts on valve 22 to admit air to the upper end of the cylinder 36 via port 36b to extend the piston in cylinder 36 and thereby return the rod 35 to a lowered position. As rod 35 isthus lowered the clutch 32 is disengaged from the shaft so as to allow the crank arm 33 to return to a corresponding lowered position without rotation of `the shaft 28. A second clutch 37 enggages the shaft 28 during such return movement of the rod 35 to a lowered position so as to prevent reverse rotation of lthe shaft 28 and the wheel 37.

As the strip C is thus advanced from right to left as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2, the leading end portion thereof is cut free from the portion of the strip in trailing relation thereto by the action of a cutting blade 38 which is supported for rocking movement about a pivot 40 between raised and lowered positions under control of a rod 41 associated with a pneumatic cylinder 42. A cam 43 on cam shaft 16 of the programmer unit is operable in conjunction with a cam follower 44 to actuate a valve 45. Such operation of the valve 45 admits air pressure to a port 42b at the lower end of cylinder 42 whereby a piston 17 in said cylinder 42 is retracted causing rod 41 to move from a lowered position to a raised position whereby the cutting blade 38 is rocked about pivot 40 between raised and loweredY positions. In thus moving to a lowered position the blade 38 in conjunction with a stationary blade 38a severs the wad from the strip C while said wad is held in a supply station 26a defined by an extended portion of the guide 26. As a lobe 43a on cam 43 reaches a rotated position to depress the valve 45, air is admitted to the port 42a at the upper end of cylinder 42 causing rod 41 to be extended and thereby operative to return the blade 38 to raised position.

It will be noted that a hook 39 elevates the cotton strip C as the blade 38 is returned from a lowered to a raised position so that the leading end of the portion which trails the severed portion is easily admitted to the guide 26a preparatory to a succeeding cycle of operation of the blade 38.

The wad supply station 26a thus provides means for supporting the wad 15 in overhead relation to a wad pusher unit which includes a pneumatic cylinder 46 having an operating rod 47 movable along a fixed line of travel obstructed by the severed strip portion C and coincident with a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of and located centrally of the opposite ends of said strip portion. A cotton wad receiving tube 48 forms a downward extension of carrier in the form of a pneumatic cylinder 50 suspended from a fixed horizontal pivot 49 for vertical swinging movement between a first position in overhead relation to the guide 26a in alignment with the line of travel of the rod 47 of cylinder 46 and a second position in overhead vertical alignment with a bottle at the bottle station 11. Valve 22 actuated by the cam follower 21 in cooperation with the cam 20 admits air pressure to a port 51a at the end of a pneumatic `cylinder 51 causing a piston in the latter to move an operating rod 52 from advanced to retracted position while further rotation of the cam locates a lobe 20a to act on follower 21 to depress valve 22 to admit air to a port 51b at the opposite end of cylinder 51 to thereby extend piston in cylinder 51 and thus move the rod 52 from retracted to advanced position. A pivot connection 53 is provided between the rod 52 and an arm 54 fixed to the cylinder 50 and accordingly swinging movement of the latter about pivot 49 is controlled by operation of the cylinder 51 and its operating rod 52. While the cylinder 50 is thus in its first position in overhead relation to the guide 26a in alignment with the line of travel of rod 47 of cylinder 46, in rsponse to movement of rod 51 from advanced to retracted position, a cam 55 or cam shaft 16 of the programmer unit is operable in conjunction with a cam follower 56 to actuate a valve 57 so as to admit pressure to the lower end of cylinder 46 via a port 46aand thereby advance the rod 47. Such advance movement of the rod 47 causes a pusher 58 at the leading end of rod 47 to have upward engagement with the wad of cotton in guide 26a and to pushvsaid wad into the receiving tube 48. The wad is thus folded into an inverted U-shaped while squeezed into the tube 48 by action of the pusher 58 with the ends of said wad facing downwardly. While the cam 55 completes its rotation the valve 57 is operated to admit pressure to the upper end of cylinder 46 via a port 46b to thereby retract the rod 47 and the pusher 58 to a position below the guide 26a in readiness for a new cycle of operation on a succeeding wad of cotton. As the pusher 58 is thus retracted the cam 20 likewiserotates to admit air pressure to cylinder 51 e'ective to advance rod 52 from its retracted position and accordingly present the tube 48 containing the cotton wad in vertically aligned overhead relation to a bottle B at the bottle station 11. While thus presented to the bottle station, the wad contained in the tube 48 is acted on by an ejector 59 at the lower end of an operating rod 60 associated with the cylinder 50 to eject the wad from the tube 48 and into the mouth of a bottle B at said bottle station 11. Such action of the ejector 59 is obtained through operation of Valve 45 which, in response to rotation of cam 43 on cam shaft 16, admits air to the upper end of cylinder 50 via port 50a during a portion of such travel of cam 43 to thereby advance the rod 60 and admits air to the lower end of cylinder 50 via port 50h during another portion of rotation of cam 43 to retract the rod 60 and thereby withdraw the ejector 59 from the area vacated by the wad of cotton inserted in the bottle.

After the wad of cotton has been inserted in the bottle, rods 61 of a pair of pneumatic cylinders 62 against which the bottle rests while at the bottle station 11 are operated from retracted to advanced positions causing the ,bottle to be pushed from its station 11 onto the conveyor 10 for capping. Pressure is applied to one end of the cylinders 62 at port 62a to effect operation of the rod 61 between retracted and advanced positions via valve 57 which is actuated by cam 55 and cam follower 56. A spring (not shown) operates to return the rod 61 to a retracted position.

Electric energy for the motor M is supplied via a first circuit containing a micro-switch 63 which is sensitive to the absence of a bottle at the bottle station. An arm 64 of the switch `63 projects through an opening in the panel or wall 12 so as to occupy a position along the upright surface of the bottle stop 14 with which a bottle at the bottle station 11 has engagement to maintain said first circuit in closed condition. The switch 63 is normally open to deactivate the circuit except when closed by the presence of a bottle at the bottle station. A second circuit for energizing the motor M includes a second microswitch 65. A cam 66 on cam shaft 16 and cam follower 67 controls opening and closing of the switch 65 so as to maintain ow of current to the motor M pending predetermined rotation of the ca-m 66 during the interval of time that normally elapses [between departure of a bottle from the bottle station and arrival of a succeeding bottle at said station. In the event a succeeding bottle does not arrive on time the cam 66 will act to open switch 65 to shut olf current to the motor. Thus, as long as bottles are advancing to the bottle station the motor M will be energized and the feeding and wadding operations will continue. Electric current for operating the circuits containing switch 62 and switch 64 is supplied from a conventional source of electric power v ia a main control switch 68.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for depositing a wad of cotton in the mouth of a bottle, said apparatus including a cotton wad supply station, a bottle station to which bottles are advanced one by one from a bottle filling station with the bottle in mouth upward position while occupying said `bottle station, a transfer unit mounted for movement about a fixed horizontal axis in overhead vertical alignment with a bottle at said bottle station between a discharge position in communication with the mouth of a bottle at said station and an intake position in overhead relation to said cotton wad supply station, said transfer unit having a cotton wad receiving chamber, a pusher unit supported for movement Ibetween retracted and advanced positions along a iixed line of travel in alignment with said transfer unit when the latter is in said intake position and said pusher having upward engagement with a wad of cotton at said supply station to push said wad into said wad receiving chamber of the transfer unit while said pusher is undergoing movement from retracted to advanced position, said transfer unit and said pusher unit cooperating to fold said wad into an inverted U-shape incident to action of the pusher unit to push said wad into said wad receiving chamber of the transfer unit with the folded end of said wad innermost of said chamber, an ejector unit supported for movement between retracted and advanced positions and having downward engagement with a wad of cotton in said chamber in the transfer unit while undergoing movement from retracted to advanced position to eject said wad from said chamber and push said ejected wad into the mouth of a bottle at said bottle station when said transfer unit is in said discharge position, a cam shaft, means for rotating said cam shaft, and pneumatic means for operating said units in timed relation during each operating cycle of said cam shaft, including movement of said transfer unit between intake position and discharge position.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cam 6 shaft operating means is deactivated after a predetermined rotation of said shaft during absence of a bottle at said bottle station.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said cam shaft operating means includes an electric motor, and current is supplied to said motor via an electric circuit controlled by a first switch which is open except when said bottle station is occupied by a bottle and a second circuit which is controlled by a second switch which is closed pending predetermined rotation of said cam shaft notwithstanding absence of a bottle at said bottle station.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 including a continuously moving conveyor on which said bottles are carried and delivered to said bottle station, a stop with which a bottle at said station has engagement to momentarily arrest movement of said bottle pending operation of said ejector unit to deposit said wad in said bottle, means for moving said bottle from said station to said conveyor in timed relation with withdrawal of said ejector unit from its wad depositing position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,805,531 9/1957 Dimond 53-63 2,817,934 12/1957 Dimond 53-115 TRAVIS s. MCGEHEE, Primary Examiner U.s. C1.X.R. 53-115 

